Panick
by Doyle'sangel
Summary: Scared does not begin to describe how I felt seeing him there with my son. Chadpay Please Review! I shall beg if you like!
1. Panic

Have you ever panicked? Have you ever-just known what would happen if you did this or that? I really brought it on myself. If I hadn't been so selfish in High School, if I hadn't always gone after what I wanted so ruthlessly, if I hadn't lied to get my way so many times maybe things would've been different. It was innocent at first; we were the only ones there from High School. He would talk to me in the halls and joke about things that no one else would get. Who else could understand a couple being labeled Troyella or a joke about a jock doing something out of character being a "Zeeke"? Soon jokes in the hall became me attending his games and him coming to my plays. We dissed each other, that's how we worked. Acknowledging that it meant something that the other came became going back to our rooms and watching movies instead of attending after parties. Eventually that became doing homework together and somehow we became friends. In the beginning we weren't doing anything wrong but every time she called I'd get quiet. It was unspoken rule that she was not to know about the newfound us. We never talked about why but it was always there. As the days became weeks and the weeks became semesters we were waiting for IT.

It didn't happen like most people would think that it would for us. There was no big fight turn passion nor did I deck out my apartment and seduce him. We told ourselves that all best friends of different genders kiss goodnight and that it was natural for him to slip into bed with me when we were studying late. Changing in front of each other was no big deal and ignored the way the other's eyes greedily devoured each other's bodies. It wasn't cheating for him to caress my bare belly during a movie or to plant soft kisses on my shoulder. One night in our last year found me clinging to him as he moved gently inside me. Our eyes never left one another. In the morning we pretended that we had just fallen asleep to another movie and though it happened four more times that semester neither of us was willing to confront it.

Three months and missed periods later I confirmed what I already knew. I was pregnant and because for me there was no one else it had to be his. I challenged the last of my classes for my teaching degree and was gone before he ever realized I was acting strange. I couldn't tell him and have him accuse me of making it up so he would break up with Taylor. I moved to a small town in Texas and did my student teaching. I could've never done it without my Daddy's money but I stopped caring about that when my son was born.

Six pound eleven ounces he had his daddy's dark skin and tight curly hair. I knew it would grow to be a ringlet curl Afro. He had my brown eyes though you would have to look closely to not mistake them for Chad's. They had flecks of yellow in them defining them as mine. He had my nose and his Dad's square jaw. I got a job and Daddy bought me a four-bedroom house as a graduation present. No one ever said anything about it but I knew it was mostly for Tyler. Tyler Evans because to give him his last name would mean letting Ryan know whose baby it was. Since no one was around for our friendship it never crossed Ryan's mind that I lied about a one-night stand. I felt bad for lying to my twin but Ryan would've felt obligated to tell him and that would just be a disaster in my book.

Tyler was five when the invitation came in the mail. It was for our ten-year reunion. I couldn't think of one reason why I wasn't going when my flippant, "Nobody liked me anyway."

Fell flat to Ryan and Kelsi's "show them you've changed then," counter. So I showed up back home hoping against hope that he wouldn't be there. I knew the moment that I heard her flawless voice that my life was going to hell. I figured the park would safe place and Tyler was thrilled.

"Sharpay Evans!" I turned to see Gabriella walking up to me. A four-year-old boy clung to her hand and I found it ironic that the best friends both had sons that were tiny replicas of them.

"Gabriella…Bolton?" I made it a question as I indicated the small child.

"Yep." She looked happy and I couldn't help but smile. She turned around and I followed her gaze to where Troy was lumbering up the sidewalk with a little girl of about two on his shoulders. It figures that they would have the two kids, I thought about asking where the dog was but if the joke didn't fall flat they might be offended.

"Sharpay!" Troy smiled at me and I smiled back, "What brings you here?"

I winced at the question, "Same thing you are." I wasn't playing coy I just feared disaster.

"Taking the kids to the park?" he asked as though it were joke.

"Kid." I said no quietly enough to be a whisper but not in a voice they would've ever associated with the Sharpay of school.

They looked surprised and looked out to the playground. We weren't by far the only people here and I knew they wouldn't pick him out. They were looking for a blond head among the kids, someone who was wearing a flashy outfit. Tyler was dressed in a blue and red jogging suit. The only thing that might give it away was the designer tag on his pants. Of course Tyler spotted me with new people and had to come over and investigate. Chad and I were both outgoing people so our son was bound to be anything but shy. "Mommy, can you push me on the swings?" he tugged on my shirt but was looking at Troy. Not having a man in the house caused Tyler to be exceptionally curious about men especially those with kids. This was my son's way of asking to be introduced.

"Tyler meet old friends of Mommy's and Uncle Ryan's. This is Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. Guys this is my son Tyler."

Gabriella didn't miss a beat although Troy's jaw hit the floor. "This is Caleb and Charity." I knew what was happening, Gabriella hadn't been around when we were kids and didn't put an image of Chad over Tyler.

As the kids pulled Gabriella to the swing I smiled brightly at Troy who was eyeing my suspiciously. "Tyler was a one night stand present. I didn't know his Dad at all but we're doing good."

Troy blinked in surprise, "So he's not anyone I knows kid?" he asked.

I shook my head, "Not to my knowledge." Later as Tyler and I returned to my childhood home that I breathed a sigh of relief, my secret was safe.


	2. My Son

I eyed my best friend as our high school team played an impromptu game. It was Troy and I versus Zeeke and Jason. Something was bothering him and I intended to find out what. "Okay," I said as I grabbed the rebound, "We both play in the NBA, if you missed this many on a regular bases you'd be out a job." Jason and Zeeke laughed as we moved to stand in a circle.

"Yeah dude," Zeeke put in, "You only play this bad when Gabby is mad at you."

"What's the matter man? Gabby pitch a fit over something?" Jason asked.

"Sharpay is in town." Troy said randomly.

We all stopped moving and looked at him. My heart constricted, since she disappeared nearly six years ago I hadn't gone a day without thinking of my lover. I studied Troy, surely he wasn't thinking about some missed chance with Sharpay. "And?" I asked, trying to keep my mind from racing to how fast I could go see her.

"Gabby and I met her at the park yesterday. She had taken her son to play."

"What!?" I asked to shocked to care that my expression was totally out of character. Of course I knew that enough time had passed for that to happen after all Gabby and Troy had two kids, Jason's wife was pregnant, and Zeeke had a little girl who was starting pre-school. I had imagined the same confrontation that would've taken place had she only been gone a week. Children and a husband had never factored into my daydreams.

"Yeah, his name is Tyler. She says he's the result of a one-night stand. He started kindergarten already and he had to miss school for a few days for them come for the reunion." I noticed Troy's eyes were trained on me a little to hard. I shifted in place and met his stare. Nearly twenty years of friendship made his questions easy to understand.

There could be only one reason that Troy would look like that so I asked the question that almost stuck in my throat, "What does he look like?"

"He has dark skin and ringlet curls in a big Afro out of his head. Sharpay said that Ryan is always telling her to cut his hair but she can't bring herself to do it. She loves his hair she says." I frowned, Sharpay had always said my hair was my best feature. She used to play with it while we did homework or just about anything. One time she got it tangled around her finger and it took us an hour to get it unstuck. We'd laughed so much it hurt that night.

My hands tightened around the basketball and suddenly I threw it at the backboard, not to make a shot but to get out some of the anger that was building inside of me, "That bitch!" I swore as I kicked air.

Zeeke and Jason jumped back in surprise, "I knew it!" Troy exclaimed as he grabbed my arm, "Before you storm out of here and confront her I want to know what the hell."

"I…" I looked at Zeeke whose face had gone blank, "No don't think that, nothing happened until after you two were over." Zeeke looked relieved and then I looked at Troy. "At first was just friendship and then one night we just…" I trailed off knowing that I could leave the story at that but I felt like our story needed more justification, "Then we pretended nothing happened because I was still with Taylor. Then it happened again and again but we wouldn't talk about it because we had a great friendship. We never told anyone we had become friends because well we just didn't. Then one day she was gone and I had no one to ask where she had gone." I looked at Troy, "Is he really mine?" I asked.

"Your spitting image, is the time line right?" he asked.

I nodded, "Sorry about the game guys." With that I turned around and walked away. Sharpay Evans had a lot of explaining to do.

The house would've intimadated me in High School but I played in the NBA and mine was comparitive. I rang the door bell and was surprised when Tyler answered, "Hi." The little boy said. I felt like an anvil crashed down on my head. Troy had not exagerated when he said he was my spitting image. I sank to my knees and tried to catch my breath so that I could say something, anything. He reached out and touched my hair and then unexpectedly tugged on a curl, "Your hair looks like mine." He said as though someone had showed him Disney World.

"Tyler, who are you talking to?" I heard Kelsi's voice. We'd kept in contact over the years though I had never asked about Sharpay for fear Kelsi would hear something in my voice. The door was thrown open wide and Kelsi took in the scene before her. I popped up to my feet but not quick enough as realization spread across her face. "Tyler go back and watch TV."

"But I want to play with him." My son, god that took breath away again, protested.

"Go watch TV and latter we'll play." I promised.

He smiled and that was when I saw Sharpay in him. I had teased her that her real smile was some much better than her fake one. She'd threatened me with bodily harm if I let it leak that she ever smiled for real. We'd laughed but later I had made sure to catch a candid picture of her real smile. The picture was later deleted when Taylor going through my phone had almost caught me with it. As he ran into the house Kelsi came out on the porch and shut the door behind us, "She lied!" she exclaimed. "I don't know why I expected better she's Shar…"

"Hey!" I cut her off not wanting to hear anything bad about my son's mother from anyone else.

Kelsi looked surprised and looked at me, "How long have you known?" From the look that crossed her face I knew she was thinking that I might have rejected them all those years ago. After all that would give Sharpay a good reason to lie.

I looked at my watch, "An hour." I said. A look of total confusion crossed her face and I had to laugh because she looked just like she had in school. "Troy saw him at the park. We grew up together and that boy is my spitting image."

"When did you and…"

"How is he?" I asked giving her a pointed glance.

"Okay but…"

I shook my head, "Look I understand that this had caught everyone off guard but I want to talk to Sharpay and then I'd like to see my son for longer than a few moments. Later we'll play share that story."

Please Review!!! I want to know if I should go with this or just take it down. I'm not sure that Chap. 2 captured Chad right. I had a friend (guy friend) go through this so I'm consulting him on what it's like to find out and trying to adapt it to Chad. How am I doing?


	3. No Reasons

_I watched him from the door. He was eating chips in the bed with his math book open and all his homework spread out but only on his side. My side was empty and I knew that he wanted to leave plenty of room for me to lie down. I raised an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips, "You're going to get crumbs in the bed." I said dryly._

_He looked up at me and grinned, "So?" he said as though he didn't know that I hated crumbs in the bed._

_"You're not the only one that sleeps in it you know!" I stated with a small stomp of my foot that caused his face to twitch with the effort to not roll with laughter. _

_"Yes, but I do sleep here there for I get a vote and I vote that I eat chips while trying to study."_

_I plopped down on the bed causing the chips to bounce and almost spill out of their bowl, "You study? The world must be coming to an end." It was an old joke that had become even more ironic as he had gotten more and more serious about his degree._

_"Hey! Now who's about to get crumbs in the bed!?" He asked ignoring my comet for the banter about the chips._

_"So are you going to tell me what is on your mind or what?" I asked._

_He shifted nervously, "What makes you think something is wrong?" he asked and when I gave him a look he sighed, "Okay, you know how I've been studying Pre-law just in case the NBA went stupid and didn't recruit me?" I nodded as he gathered up his books and stacked them in a neat pile on the floor beside the bed. It was a sure sign that he was deep in thought. He liked open space when he was considering something. "Well I've been accepted to a law school but last week an NBA scout came and talked to me."_

_I shrieked, "That's great Chad!!" _

_"Yeah," he said and grinned another crooked smile that melted my heart. "Anyway, I've been thinking that maybe I should just go on to law school and forget about the NBA."_

_"What!?" I sat up and wrapped my hands around his arm, "You've wanted to be in the NBA since Middle School. What's going on?"_

_"Well NBA stars travel everywhere and they're away from home all the time. That's not good for a family something I do want someday." He smiled at me in that way that was usually reserved for moments when I "wasn't looking"._

_My breath caught in my throat and I smirked, "But I was planning on following you to all your games and seeing all the cool sights. Staying in plush hotels and…"_

_"Are you crazy!" he said laughing, "No way, I'd have to constantly keep a sex starved team from jumping you." he jumped out of bed and curved his arm as though he had it around an invisible waist. He flailed his other hand out pretending to keep a crowd away from his arm, "Forget this!" he said and bent to the ground and picked up an invisible stick and began to beat the crowd, "Face my brick stick!!!" _

_I laughed and grabbed the camera. When I snapped the picture he turned to me and dropped the act, "You did not just snap a picture."_

_"So what if I did?" I taunted._

_"Grrr…" He shouted playfully as he dived back onto the bed. The bowl of chips went flying and spilled everywhere._

_"Look what you did now!" I said trying to roll off the bed as his arm snaked out and pulled me so that I was under him. I crushed several chips in the process and I tried to look annoyed. I knew it was failing due to the fact that I couldn't stop giggling. _

_I stopped giggling as he pushed my robe off my shoulders and leaned down kissing my bare skin. I moaned softly and trailed my fingers down his back as he settled between my legs. Suddenly the phone rang and all the wrong reasons filled the room. He jumped up and snatched up the phone going into the hall to answer it. I stood and straightened myself up and began to pick up the mess we had made. After a few moments he came back in, "Taylor's here. I've got to go meet her."_

_"Okay." I said and when I thought I could pull it off I looked up at him and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."_

_He came over and gently grabbed my arm, "I'll be home tonight." He said. _

_I refused to look at him or try to decipher that statement and after a few minuets I heard the front door close. I threw the bowl of chips back on the bed not caring that it ruined the work I had done while he was here. I went into the bathroom and pulled out my makeup case. Opening it up I pulled out the pregnancy test. The two pink lines glared back at me and I felt my eyes fill with tears. I knew what I had to do, it was best for me and the baby I was carrying._

I stared at the picture in the scrapbook. That was the night I decided to leave. The book was something I kept with the intent to show it to Tyler when he was old enough. "So…long time no see." I turned around sure I was hallucinating but there he was standing in my doorway.

"Troy wasn't fooled." I said dryly.

"Maybe if he wasn't a tiny replica of me…"

"Are you mad?" I asked in a small voice.

His jaw tightened, "Beyond furious but…yelling accomplishes nothing. I want my son, _my son_, to have a good impression of me."

"I had my reasons." I stated but it lacked the confidence I had intended for it to come out with.

"And now is your chance to tell me them." He stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it and I couldn't help but think he looked so good. His hair was still curly and framed his face; he was wearing jeans and white tee shirt with cut off sleeves. We always argued that he had no fashion sense but I had always thought that his cloths made him look drop dead sexy.

I took a deep breath and slowly closed my eyes. I couldn't keep a tear from slipping down my face. It was like there was this canyon between us and it was my own doing. Suddenly my reasons seemed childish and a reflection of my own fears rather than something he would've actually done.

**Okay so I know that this chapter was mostly a flash back but I wanted people to see what their relationship was like before. I was going for the perfect couple without admitting they're a couple. What do you think? How do you think the TALK is going to go? Should they yell anyway or should they talk it out? What do you guys think would be truest to the characters? **


	4. Scary Ryan

_Taylor was already sitting in a booth when I got to I Hop. She was nursing coffee and continued to stir it even as I slid into the booth. "Where were you?" she asked quietly. She makes a show of looking at her watch and then looks up at me, "The library closed an hour ago. No one is out studying this late."_

_I shifted uneasily, she was right and wrong. Yes I had been studying but if I didn't practically live with Sharpay I would've been at the dorm. "I was at home." I said in a rush._

_She leveled me with a searching gaze, "Your Mother says you never spend the night at home. I talked to her yesterday."_

"_Taylor, I…" I wanted to end us but six years made the words impossible to find._

"_Tell me Chad where is home?" _

_I hesitated, if I just told her she would get hurt but I could see that while she knew no names she knew there was another girl involved. "I'm sorry Tay." I met her eyes in an effort to show I cared._

"_How many times?" she asked calmly._

"_How many times what?" I asked hoping she wasn't asking the question I didn't want to answer._

"_How times have you slept with her?" her voice rose just a little on the last three words letting me know she wasn't as calm as she was pretending._

"_You don't really want to know." I said moving to stand up._

"_Six years and this is all I get? An admittance of cheating and then you walk away? She must be something real special. Yeah, a real special kind of slut." Taylor said bitterly._

"_Hey!" I could feel my temper rising, maybe it was because if she knew who it was it would only reinforce the opinion rather than make attempts to get to know her._

_Taylor looked up at me in surprise, "You're getting mad?" she snapped, "Like you have a right to get angry after all you've done. I have a right to my bitterness.'_

"_Look, be bitter about me all you want but leave her out of this." I turned to go. I did not want a scan in I-Hop and I had Sharpay waiting at home._

"_You're in love with her." I heard Taylor gasp._

_I turned around and looked at her in shock, "You thought I was fucking around because I was lonely waiting for school to be done? Reality check Tay, I'm not like that."_

"_I'm sorry," Taylor said sadly._

_I sat down in the booth and cupped her hands, "Sorry for what?" I asked softly._

"_For not being enough and for being so far away. For cheating on you as well." She looked up at me with tears in her eyes._

_I couldn't summon the anger to hate her for cheating. Maybe it was because I had done it as well or maybe it's because I knew that no matter what we wouldn't have worked out and you only stay mad when you think it would've worked if something had been different. "Don't, let's not blame ourselves. We just weren't meant to be."_

"_Is she at least pretty?" she asked with watery eyes. Her smiled told me that my friend rather than my ex-girlfriend was attempting a joke._

"_Gorgeous." I whispered._

_"Tall me about her." She said, "If you want I can tell you about him." I hesitated and she let out a small laugh, "You don't have to give names. I know I won't."_

_I relaxed, "You tell me something about him and I'll tell you something about her."_

When I had come home that night Sharpay was asleep and the sheets had been changed. A week later she was gone and I had no idea what had happened to her. Now six years later I knew why she had left but not why she felt that she had to hide Tyler from me. "And now is your chance to tell me them."

Sharpay hesitated and took in her appearance. Having a child had not had a negative effect on her. She was as skinny as ever. Her hair was swept up in a pony tail rather than carefully styled and rather than sequences and short skirts she had jeans and a tight message tee. It was red and said Super Mom in blue. I couldn't help but let out a small huff of a laugh at it. She looked down at her shirt and smiled, "It was my Mother's day present from Tyler last year. Ryan took him shopping and they cooked me cookies and wrapped this shirt in Hulk paper because Tyler told Ryan that it was my favorite movie. It's lost on a four-year-old that you might only watch a movie twenty times for them."

I smiled at the picture of my son convincing Ryan to get the Hulk paper. My smile faded after a moment however, and I fixed Sharpay with a look, "Stop stalling and tell me why." I snapped.

Her had came up with a snap and the deer in the headlights look faded and her jaw clenched, "You will not talk to me like that." She hissed, " I did what was best for everyone."

"Oh, yes because growing up without a father who would love him is best for Tyler." I snapped unable to keep my voice from rising.

"I had my reasons," she yelled standing her full height, which wasn't all that tall without her stilettos.

I laughed bitterly, "I'm still waiting to hear them. Tell me Shar what was such a good reason that you kept my son from me all these years? I was ready to give up everything for you!" I pushed off the door and strode over to her so that I towered above her.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" she shouted, "You have no right to anything so I'm done with this conversation. Leave!"

I smirked, "You can throw me out now but I have money Shar. I'm a NBA player with a law degree. I have money and knowledge and power to match yours. Throw me out now but Tyler will be mine."

"I fight you with my every last breath. Mother's are seen in a better light and I'll see that you see Tyler so little that he doesn't have a clue who you are."

"Yes because this custody battle is really what's best for Tyler." We both whipped around to see Ryan standing in the now open door. "Are you both that selfish that you would take this argument to court and tear your son apart like that?" He came and stood beside us, he was shorter than me so I was forced to take a step back so that I didn't feel like I was towering over him as well. "I expected better of you Sharpay! You've put Tyler first in everything you've done since day one. Why is this different?" He turned on me and I found myself a tad bit intimidated, I began to wonder if this was a family trait. "And you, yeah Sharpay was a bitch for keeping it from you but to take him away from her? I thought you were more of an adult than that." He fixed us both with a look, "I don't know what happened between you two. I don't know how Tyler came about or what caused Shar to run but what I do know is that you're both here now. You both want to be a part of his life so if you refuse to work out your personal issues work things out enough so that Tyler can have you both. Peacefully!! I have no problem throwing you both out and keeping Tyler here until you fix this." With that he turned on his heels and strode from the room closing the door with a decided thump behind him.

I looked at Sharpay and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, "When did your brother get scarier than you?" I asked and we both giggled nervously.


	5. Do you love me Daddy?

**Thank You Somuchforyou as my first reviewer. **

**A special Thanks to**

**Lilarose**

**Digigirl02**

**Keirah**

**And Drowninsequins**

**You guys make writing this worth it. **

Chad swept Tyler up and held him so he could dunk the basketball. As it swished through the net Chad swung him around and the two whooped. I had successfully avoided the question of why I had left by offering to introduce Chad to Tyler. The flexibility of my five-year-old didn't cease to amaze me. Tyler accepted that Chad was his Dad with ease and insisted they play X-box. Chad had started to charm our son by allowing him to teach him how to play the game and he didn't fail to impress all day. Now it was 8:00 PM and they were playing basketball in our indoor gym. "Okay, time out for bed."

Tyler groaned and Chad sat him back on his feet, "Aww come on buddy. If you go to sleep the sun will come up faster and we can go to the park."

"Okay." Tyler agreed. He smiled up at Chad, "We will read me a story?"

Chad looked at me and I nodded slightly, "Okay buddy but you have to go get ready for bed first."

As Tyler ran out the door Chad grabbed up the ball and walked over to me, "You've charmed him." I smiled.

"Yeah, that'll all go away the first time he get in trouble." Chad said with a crooked smile.

"You're a natural." I smiled back at him and a thought crossed my mind, "Do you have any other kids? Or a wife?" I asked hoping I wasn't jumping into a minefield.

"No." Chad said, "Is Tyler your only one?" he challenged.

"I think you would've noticed other kids running around." I said dryly.

"Point proved." Chad said.

I shrugged, "For all I knew you and Taylor got back together and had a dozen kids."

"Why do you always bring Taylor up?" he snapped shifting the ball to his other side.

"I don't! Why are you so defensive all of a sudden? This was always our problem. We fought to much!" I backed up.

"We didn't have problems Sharpay." He hissed, "We worked well together, we never fought to the point that we couldn't make up."

I took a step back and shook my head, "We never worked well together because we never existed. You were with Taylor and I…I…"

"Went on dates to drive me crazy."

"Don't be so arrogant. I went on dates because I like those guys."

"Yes, that's why you never went back for a second date. Because you like them so much." He said sarcastically.

"They didn't live up to my standards." I said tossing my hair which didn't work as well as it had years ago being in a ponytail.

"That's bull and you know it. So tell me Shar did I not live up to your standards? Is that why you left?" Chad backed me up against the wall.

"I…I…" I couldn't think or breath. Memories were threatening to over run me. Memories of tickle fights against the wall and fights ending in feverish kisses flashed across my thoughts. I looked up into Chad's eyes and saw the pain that I had caused. Pain and something else, hidden beneath the anger and pain was the love I thought he had surely given up on by now. He reached up and ran a thumb down the side of my face as though he too were lost in a memory. He leaned down so that his lips hovered over mine; I closed my eyes and placed my hands on his chest. I wasn't sure if I planned to grab his T-shirt or push him away. I felt his lips ever so softly on mine; it wasn't quiet a kiss but more of a brush of lips on lips. We hovered there unsure of where crossing this line would take us.

"Daddy?" we jumped apart as though we had been burned. We turned to the door and saw Tyler standing there, looking at us curiously.

"Hey buddy, ready for a story?" Chad asked as he swept our son up in his arms.

I hovered outside the door listening to the story and Tyler's questions. Chad was so patient with him and answered all his questions making up what wasn't apparent in the story. "The end." Chad said.

"Again!" I heard Tyler demand and I stifled a laugh.

"No, not again. It's time for bed. I'll read it again tomorrow night." Chad said. While I couldn't see what was going on through the closed door I could picture Chad kissing his forehead and tucking him in. I saw the light go out and I leaned against the wall as I heard Chad grab the knob but before he opened the door Tyler's voice floated through again.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah buddy?"

"Why didn't you love me until today?"

"What?" I heard Chad choke out.

"Well I figured that you must not love me if you weren't around but now you are and now you love me. I want to know why you didn't before."

"No, sport I've always loved you. Mommy just thought us not seeing each other was better for you. Never think that I don't love you. I always have and always will."

"Why did Mommy think that?"

"I don't know." A few moments later Chad came out. He carefully closed the door before looking at me. The love I had seen earlier was gone and his eyes were like storm clouds in the middle of a tornado. He walked over and grabbed my arm, "Use tonight to think it through and come up with the words because in the morning you will tell me why my son thought I didn't love him all this time. No more stalling Sharpay, I want to know why!" he hissed quietly and then walked down the hallway toward the door, "I'll show myself out." He called back leaving me shaking.

I sunk down and felt the tears slide down my face. Hindsight's 20/20 because looking back I couldn't think of one good reason that would justify hurting the two men that I loved the most in my life. With that said I now had to come to terms with another heart breaking realization, I was still in love with Chad Danforth and he hated my guts.

**I know this is ever shorter than the last one but I wanted to end it on a dramatic note. I thought about starting this with a flashback but none that I pictured for them fit. What did you think of the Chad/Sharpay action? They were so close and now he's mad again. I'm going to introduce Troy's kids back into the story soon because I'm thinking about a sequel with them and Tyler when I'm done with this one. Also should Kelsi and Ryan had a kid? If they do it'll be a girl. Vote away and tell me what you see happening next. I've used what you guys have said as inspiration several times.**


	6. I can't

_"Law?" Sharpay raised her eyebrows at me._

_"I know, big surprise but it's pretty interesting. Besides if the NBA doesn't pick me up I want a career."_

_"Is that doubt I hear?" Sharpay mocked._

_"No ice queens allowed in my door room." I said throwing a pillow at her._

_"Sorry." There was an awkward silence and I wondered why I invited her back here and why she agreed to come. _

_"So, teaching huh? I thought you'd be studying for all the Glam and press."_

_"I did the first semester while I helped Darbaus with the play. After that I found loved teaching those kids. Besides Darbaus will retire eventually and I'll fit right in." she shrugged as though everyone in our class wouldn't die of shock to find out she had chosen teaching over being a star. _

_"A teacher and a lawyer huh?" I laughed._

_"Before you know it there'll be two kids and dog for us both." She smirked._

_"Oh no!" I grabbed my heart dramatically, "Save us from adult hood!"_

_She cracked up and soon we were both rolling on the ground. 'Oh yeah,' I thought as she impersonated Lucy from __I love Lucy__, 'I invited her back because she makes me laugh.' I couldn't help but wonder when the ice melted but was to busy pulling her down for a tickle fight to ask. I soon found I didn't care, I was just glad it did._

I watched as the raindrops carved erratic paths of water down my window. I balled up my fist and punched the wall careful not to put a hole in the wall of my hotel room. I know I should hate her, she did the unforgivable. She kept my son from me, I missed so many of his firsts, and those were things I could never get back. I remember sitting next to Troy when Caleb was born and thinking that I would try to be better when it was my first born. Now I would never even get to be there much less act better. I should hate her, I knew that, but I didn't. I sat down and leaned against the wall. As I closed my eyes I could feel tears I didn't want to fall stinging my eyes.

_"Sharpay, I haven't worn a coat and tie since prom." I protested trying not to look at her puppy dog eyes._

_"Please Chad, I don't want to go to this thing without a date. I went to the last one alone and Mom harassed me for weeks to go out with this super boring guy she knows." She straddled my lap and stuck out her lip. "It's just for pretend."_

_"You better be glad you're my best friend." I sighed, "I would never do this for Troy."_

_"Thank you! Thank You!" she threw her arms around me and bounced up and down in place. Suddenly I was really glad I had said yes._

I looked down at my hands trying to exorcise the memories that were haunting me tonight. I immediately knew that I should've looked anywhere else as I spotted a small scar that trailed up my thumb.

_I threw open Sharpay's door in a panic, the living room was filled with smoke, "Sharpay!" I shouted._

_"In here!" she called from the kitchen, she sounded on the verge of tears._

_Running in I stopped short as the erratic thundering in my chest calmed down. Sharpay stood over the stove waving a towel. On the table sat what was suppose to be a cake but looked more like charcoal. "What are you doing?" I asked trying not to laugh._

_"It's your birthday." She said sadly._

_"You baked a cake?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around her waist._

_"I tried," She said looking up at me. "But I got busy taking a shower and wrapping your present so it would be ready in time and I forgot about the time."_

_"Well how about we go out and let apartment air out and I'll say it's the thought that counts." I was really touched that she had gone to all the trouble. She seemed so devastated that it had failed, "I still have a present right?" I wheedled._

_Suddenly her face lit up, "Yeah!"_

_"Well go get it and I'll take care of this." I gestured to the kitchen. _

_"Okay." She skipped out and I turned around and grabbed the cake pan. I immediately realized what a mistake this was when pain shot through my hand._

_"Shit!" I cursed and dropped the pan._

_"Chad!" she ran back in and saw what happened, "You idiot!" she said as she reached over and cradled my hand in her's. She pulled me over and turned on the faucet. "The pan is hot!"_

_"Nah, I didn't notice." I said sarcastically._

I sighed and clenched my hand into a fist. Sharpay made me laugh, she made me study, she made coming home worth it, she made me want to be a better man. Now I was faced with what was more important to me, my anger over my son or the fact that I was still in love with Sharpay Evans.

_"I want two boys and a girl." I said as I tossed another piece of popcorn in the general direction of Sharpay's mouth._

_"I want boys." She said._

_"What? I thought you would want a girl to do all the girly things with."_

_"I'd be afraid she'd turn out like me."_

_"What's so bad about that?"_

_"I was hated in high school Chad, I don't want that for my kids. I want them to have what you and Troy had."_

_"I can't see you keeping up with a mob of boys."_

_"You think Ryan was always the follower? Nah, when we were little before we moved here I tagged along behind him. Baseball, dirt, monkey bars, and blocks were my life."_

_"What! No way, so then why the glitter?"_

_"I got a crush on one of our friends the year before we moved here. He said he couldn't like me because I was one of the boys. He dated, in the way little kids "date", a girl who wore pink and I swore that I would never be one of the boys again. After a while I loved it, it suited me as well as a base ball cap did."_

_"Only you could be a walking contradiction." I grabbed her to me and brushed my lips against hers. We smiled at one another and I knew we were justifying our current position. We were really good friends after all._

I stood abruptly, grabbing my key card I burst out the door. Once I got out of the hotel I started to run. My feet hit the pavement in a steady rhythm. Nothing had ever calmed me like running at night. The wind blew the rain in my face and I spun in a circle in mid run enjoying the sensation. I didn't even realize where I was heading until the swings of the park came into view. I stopped in my tracks next to the merry go round. Reaching out I ran my hand across the cold wet metal. Grabbing it I pushed with all my might and watched as it spins and to me the rain faded into a sunny day.

_"Faster!" Sharpay was holding on for all she was worth. She looked up at me, her hair flying out around her, and laughed with glee._

_"Faster? Faster? Okay, don't say I didn't warn you!" I said as I shoved it again watching her spread her arms out in joy._

"I was scared." I turned around to see Sharpay standing behind me.

"Why?" I asked reaching out to stop the merry go round.

"I thought you would accuse me of making it up or worse ask if he was yours."

"Yeah, because I proved myself to be that kind of guy." I said sarcastically.

"I was scared of getting my heart broken." She said quietly.

I walked over to her, reaching up I pushed her hair out of her face, and cupped her face, "You took my son from me. There are things that I've missed that I will never get back."

"Not a day goes by that I don't regret that." She whispers and looks away.

I leaned down and captured her lips with mine. The kiss was gentle at first, as though we were both trying to feel our way through it. After a moment it heated up with the passion that we always possessed. I backed her against the snack building and pressed my body against hers.

Just as I felt her arms start to snake around my neck I tore my lips from hers and pushed off the building so there was space between us again, "I can't." I said and I felt my voice crack. "You broke my heart," I admitted, "I was really going to give up everything for you. I almost did anyway. I went to law school thinking one day you'd come back and I'd be ready to show you that I wanted a family. I almost turned down the NBA when they offered after law school but by that time I was jaded. I'm not married because every time I date I keep comparing them to you. I sound like some star stuck schoolgirl but I can't do this again. I can't sleep with you and then have you walk away. It's going to be hard enough to pick Tyler up and talk about school and everything else that parents have to do because of their kids." I backed up even more, "You're not even back for good, you didn't come back for me or us. I'll draw up the papers to make everything official with Tyler and I'd like to take him out tomorrow but I can't do this, us." With that I turned and ran.

I knew I should stay and talk out specifics but I couldn't. I ignored her calling my name and just kept running. I ran all the way to the Bolton's house and banged on the door. Troy answered looking annoyed until he caught sight of me. I must have looked bad because he called for Gabby and pulled me inside. I sunk to my knees in the kitchen and for the first time since sophomore year when my dad died I cried in my best friend's arms. I didn't tell him why and he didn't ask and when I woke up the next morning he gave me a ride to my hotel. It was at moments like these that I appreciated having a best friend that I had known since we were in diapers. "Hey man," he said as I climbed the car, "Keep your head in the game." I smirked and prepared to face the one woman that could still reduced me to next to nothing.

**Okay I'm nervous about this chapter. I've always seen Chad as kind of a tough guy. I thought I had made clear Sharpay's side of things and why she left but I wanted you guys to see what it did to Chad. I know him crying to Troy wasn't something you were expecting or even I was expecting to write but although I deleted it four times I kept putting it back. So tell me what you think. Also I have one vote for Ryelsi having no kids and one for them to have one. I need tie breaker so tell me what you think.**


	7. Break Me

_"So what are doing for Father's Day?" I asked as I popped the movie into the DVD player. _

_"Nothing." Chad said in a low tone. I turned around and stared at him curiously. We'd been friends since sometime last semester and I had never heard him speak like that._

_"Why not?" I asked, I sensed I was stepping into dangerous territory but we had the kind of friendship that meant I didn't have to be careful._

_"My Dad left when I was seven." He said flopping back on the bed._

_I walked over and curled up next to him. "Do you ever see him?" I asked as the opening song began to play._

_"Sometimes." Chad said and I knew he was uncomfortable when he snatched up the foam basketball and threw it in the air. He caught it and repeated the action twice more before I grabbed the remote and paused the movie. He looked over at me and donned a fake confused look, "What was that for?" he asked._

_"Tell about him." I said._

_"Tell you about him the way I made you tell me about your break with Zeek? He asked._

_I nodded, Chad had made me talk about Zeek when he saw it was hurting my current dating scene. _

_He sighed and resumed tossing his ball in the air, "My Mom got pregnant with me and they got married." He laughed bitterly, "We all know how well those marriages work. I was seven when they decided they just couldn't stand each other. For a year it every other weekend hell. Mom wanted me to talk about all the stuff he was doing wrong and Dad talked bad about Mom. Then he met her…his new wife. They moved to Southern California and that was that."_

_"What? You never heard from him again?" I prodded._

_"No, it's was slow. The first year it was every month and two weeks in the summer with a phone call every Saturday. Then one Saturday there was no phone call. Two months later he missed a visit. By the time I was eleven I only saw him in summer. When I started basketball that was the last of it. No more calls, visits, or two-week stays. He came to graduation and I call him at Christmas but that's it." He propped himself up on his elbow._

_He was trying so hard to not show that it still hurt him that I couldn't help myself. I leaned over and pressed my lips gently over his. His hands grabbed my hips and he deepened the kiss. Before we could go any farther his phone went off. We pulled back and there was an awkward pause. Then I did what I had to in order to save our friendship. I laughed and tousled his hair, "Feel better now?" I asked as though I kissed him every day._

_He grinned, "Yeah." Then he reached over and picked up his phone, "Hey baby," he said, "Tell this is you calling to say you're home." He teased and I knew that Taylor was on the other end. _

_I stretched out on the bed and turned to star blankly at the paused screen. 'I did not just fall in love with my best friend.' I told myself, 'My taken best friend.' I scolded as he laughed at something Taylor said. Just as I was about to convince myself that the kiss was a fluke he began to softly trace one of his fingers over the bare part of my back. I rolled slightly and looked up at him. He smiled softly at me despite the witty banter he was engaged in. I felt myself melt and I knew in that moment that someday I would sleep with my best friend. _

It had been almost a year since Chad had discovered Tyler. He'd finished out his contract with the NBA and just like that he quit. He moved to Sandhill, Texas where I lived and went to work at a law firm. He'd been picking Tyler up every other weekend for months so I was scrambling to figure out why the sight of him and Tyler walking up my front walk invoked memories of our first kiss. I opened the door and stepped out on the front porch. When Tyler saw me he took off and jumped into my arms. As he chatted at a million miles an hour I let my eyes drift to his father who was slowly making his way up the stairs. "How about you go look on the table and see what I made for you and then after we say goodbye to Daddy you can tell me about your weekend?" I interupted.

"Okay!" I set him down on the ground and he took off into the house.

Chad chuckled and I smiled at him as I took the backpack he offered. "So," I said, at a loss for conversation.

"Can I have him Wednesday?" Chad burst out.

I blinked and frowned, "Why?" I asked.

Chad shrugged, "Father's Day." He muttered.

Suddenly it came rushing back to me, the conversation leading to our kiss had been about this day. "Oh," I said and trailed off.

"So, can I?" he prodded when I didn't say anything.

"Sure, of course." I shook myself slightly, willing myself to not get caught up in memories.

His face split into a grin and I found myself very glad I had said yes, "Do you want to pick him up from school?" I asked.

He sucked in a breath, "Umm, I don't think I'll be off in time so if I could pick him up?" he made a question.

"Yeah that's fine." I shrugged. A movement out of the corner of my eye caused me to look up just in time to see the passenger door of Chad's car to open. The woman that stood up was gorgeous, she ha long black hair that she had braided into several tiny braids. Her skin was the color of hot chocolate and her body was slim and curvy.

"Chad!" she called, "We're going to be late."

"Be right there." He called and when he turned back I knew he knew I was pissed.

"Who is that?" I asked in a tone I had rarely used since high school.

"Sharla." He said, "We're going out…tonight. Look I was going to tell you about her but…"

"What's the point of agreeing to met the people the other is going to bring into our son's life if you're going to break that agreement the first bimbo you meet?" I hissed.

"Hey!" he snapped, "I just picked her up, it's first time Tyler met her and it was only for the car ride over here. He won't even think about her after a few hours."

I glared, "He still met her before I did." I hissed.

"I don't have time for this." He sighed angrily and turned away, "I'll pick him up on Wednesday." He called over his shoulder.

As his car drove off I composed myself, I could cry later. Right now I had a son to take care of.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

On Wednesday I paced. I had sent Tyler to his room and I planed to talk to Chad. The doorbell rang and I answered it with a smile plastered on my face, "Come on in." I said as Chad eyed me with suspicion.

"We're going to fight, aren't we?" he asked as he dropped down on my sofa.

"Sharla…" I started and he held up a hand to silence me.

"Bailed when she found out about Tyler."

That surprised me and I paused then scoffed, "Nice taste in woman."

He glared at me, "You know, this sucks. It's hard being a parent, a weekend Dad. Excuse me for trying to move on."

"Move on all you want." I snapped, "But 1) have better taste and 2) next time abide by the rule of them meeting me first."

"Yes, because that is the first date of every girl's dreams. Come meet my crazy ex then we can go to a movie." Chad came up off the couch.

"You're exaggerating and I am not crazy."

"You over react to every woman I might be involved in." he hissed.

"I do not." I defended myself.

"What about my secretary that you accused me of sexing up? Or when you accused me of hitting on your babysitter when I picked Tyler up while you were at Parent Teacher Conferences?" his words infuriated me.

"Well excuse me for still being in love with you." I snapped without thinking.

"That's not a…what?" he started then stopped and a deafening silence crashed down on the room.

I looked at the love of my life, my ex best friend, standing in my living room. He'd obviously left his suit jacket in the car but his white shirt was still tucked in and his tie was hanging askew. His usually wild hair was pulled back in respectable corn rolls but he had already put his trade mark obsidian stud back in his ear. I took it all in and I felt the part of me that I had been holding together through sheer willpower break. "I can't do this." I whispered and fled the room upstairs to my bedroom trusting him with Tyler.

**Whew!!! Sorry Christmas interfered and I started some other stories that wouldn't leave me alone but Panic is still my favorite one to write. So what do you guys think Chad should do? He either goes up to talk to her or gets Tyler and leaves quietly. Sorry about the time jump but I wanted to move the story along. If you guys really want let me know and I will write a one shot about Chad and Tyler's day they were suppose to have. **


	8. To Never Ever

To Never Ever

I stood stock still in shock. How could she still love me? It had been seven years since we'd been friends or anything more and while the memories still haunted me every day she had seemed to get along fine alone. True she had yet to go on a date since I moved to Sandhill but she was a single mom with a career, maybe she just didn't have time. I slowly made my way up the stairs and stopped with my hand on her door. It was D-Day, if I went inside we would talk about it but if I left it was over for real, for good. Could I just get back together with her and pretend like nothing happened?

_I opened the door and went inside, "We've never talked about getting back together." I stated._

_ She looked steadily out the window, "No we haven't. Tyler's stuff is in his regular bag in his room with him."_

_ "So that's it? I love you, shatter your world with that comment, now leave and take our son?"_

_ She whipped around angry; good that's what I wanted. At least she was paying attention to me now. "That's not how it is! That…that just slipped out."_

_ "Did you mean it?" I snapped riding the height of passion in the room._

_ "Yes!" She snapped back._

_ "Good, then marry me!" I roared._

_ "Why! You good for nothing…wait what?" she stopped mid rant and I smiled at her._

_ I sunk to one knee and looked up at her, "I haven't got a ring yet but will you, Sharpay Evans, marry me?"_

_ "I…I…I…what?" she stuttered._

_ "I'll take that as a yes."_

_ "No…I mean yes…I mean, have you lost your mind?"_

_ "Come on, we've both wanted it for years and Tyler is already in the first grade if we want more of him we need to get a move on it." I stood up and smiled at her suggestively. _

_ Suddenly her face broke out in a smile and she jumped up off the window seat into my arms, "Tell me I'm not dreaming!"_

I froze with my hand on the door, this was reality and it just didn't work like that. I walked into Tyler's room and collected his stuff. She would pick him up from school on Monday and I would be back my next weekend and things would never change. That was life and it sucked. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the ring I had carried with me since two days before Taylor and I had broken up all those years ago. I grabbed a string from the odds and ends draw and tied it to Sharpay's bedroom door.

As Tyler and I were getting in the car Sharpay burst out of the house, "Come back!" she shouted. I paused and then walked up to her so she would have to lower her voice. "Come back, please don't leave this house again. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please let's be a family."

I hesitated, everything in me wanted to say yes. To be Chadpay again but there was that darker angry side. The part that roared every time I met someone new to me that Tyler already knew and every time I saw his baby pictures. "Go inside Sharpay, don't let the neighbors see you cry." I smiled condescendingly. I was too close to giving in for her to stay out here and ask again.

"No!" she said and I looked at her in surprise, "You love me, so you're staying." She took my hand and started to drag me to the house with Tyler tagging along behind trying to figure out what was going on.

I finally let myself smile as I gave in, maybe I wasn't as mad as I wanted to be. Maybe…just Maybe we could be us again.


	9. Note

Okay here are the answers to your questions.

I have a Mother and my Dad remarried when I was six after two years of dating his wife. I was four when she came into my life I literally do not remember a day she wasn't there. I will happily be going back home with my husband to see my Dad and _Mom_. Chad's family is the same. His Father left and is absent but his step-dad or dad the man that took care of him died. I always meant to put it in there but never saw an opening.

The last chapter is a day dream. He's imagining what would happen if he went into her room only to be confronted with reality.


End file.
